MONROE, La. ? Justin Anderson and Jordy Poche
had dominating performances on the mound to lead ULM to a doubleheader
sweep of New Orleans on Sunday and a three-game weekend sweep of the Privateers at
Warhawk Field. ULM took the opener 5-4 and won the nightcap by a 4-1 margin.
The
Warhawk pitching duo struck out a combined 11 batters and allowed just
four runs and one walk over their 13 1/3 innings of work.
Poche (1-1) carried a shutout into the ninth
inning striking out four batters and scattering six hits, while Anderson (3-1) earned the win
for ULM (10-6, 3-3 Sun Belt) in the opener throwing 5 1/3 strong innings
with a season-high seven strikeouts.
Along with doing damage on the mound, Poche hit the
game-winning home run ? his second of the season ? in the third inning. He finished
the day a combined 3-for-5 from the plate with a pair of RBIs.
Matt Laird also went deep for the Warhawks in
the nightcap pushing the lead out to 4-0 in the sixth inning with his two-run homer? Laird was
1-for-3 from the plate in each game. All-American Ben Soignier added a 4-for-8
showing at the plate for the day along with driving in a pair of runs.
New Orleans (5-11, 1-5) was led by Jerad
Comarda's 5-for-7 day; he also scored three times and had two home runs.
Drew Graham, who was making his second appearance
of the weekend, saved the day for ULM in the opening game. With the Privateers threatening with runners on
second and third base and one out, Graham was able to end
the threat with back-to-back strikeouts for the second straight game.
The Warhawks trailed 2-0 heading into the
fifth inning of the opening game, but a four-run fifth inning broke open the
game. Nick Wade opened the scoring with an RBI single to score Laird. Poche
followed with an RBI single of his own before Soignier struck the big blow of
the inning with a two-run single.
Following an out to lead off the ULM sixth,
Laird doubled to right-center and then came home to score the eventual winning run
on a Wade single through the left side of the infield.
Derek
Ward threw a perfect ninth inning for
ULM to pick up his second save of the season and ninth of his career.
Josh Miller picked up his first save of the season in game two coming
in with a runner on base and nobody out.
The Privateers 2-3-4 hitters ? Jay Morris,
Nick Mitchell and Comarda ? combined for nine hits, three runs and a pair of
RBI in the opener.
ULM hits the road for a two-game series that
starts on Tuesday against Dallas Baptist in Dallas, Texas. First pitch is
scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Patriot Field.
